Shared Belief became just the fifth sophomore to win the Pacific Classic (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com)

Shared Belief recorded his sixth victory from as many career starts while facing his sternest test to date -- Sunday's Grade 1, $1,001,250 Pacific Classic going 1 1/4 miles against older, more experienced runners.

That didn't stop the Candy Ride gelding from romping home by 2 3/4 lengths under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. The reinsman actually chose the Jerry Hollendorfer sophomore over defending Pacific Classic champion Game On Dude, and the move paid dividends as Shared Belief completed 10 furlongs over Del Mar's Polytrack in 2:00 1/5.

"When you have horses run in these big races, everybody wants to dissect them and be critical," Hollendorfer remarked. "What people were wondering was could he come down to Del Mar and handle the mile and a quarter? He answered that question. There'll be other horses and other races in the future and we'll all be under the microscope again."

"The whole thing is so surreal to me," co-owner Jim Rome said. "I keep getting the question, 'This is easy, right?' We all know it's the hardest thing in the world. Janet and I got started in the game back in 2007 and we didn't have a lot of success early on.

Mike Smith celebrated Shared Belief's Pacific Classic win with co-owner Jim Rome (Benoit Photos)

Shared Belief, meanwhile, was in no hurry. Smith kept the dark bay out of trouble, letting him settle in midpack outside of Majestic Harbor heading into the backstretch. They dropped back a bit more to run in between horses, about 6 1/2 lengths behind Game On Dude who kept motoring on the front end through splits of 1:10 and 1:35.

Toast of New York was the first to begin his run and headed after the longtime leader entering the turn. He soon found company, though, as Shared Belief hit the gas and appeared on the outside. The three-year-olds collared Game On Dude on the final turn, and there was a brief moment when Shared Belief came in a bit. Toast of New York took up even though there was still running room between his rivals and swung outside of Shared Belief.

The duo easily passed Game On Dude and powered home, with Shared Belief proving best to remain unbeaten and improve his lifetime earnings to $1,372,200.

"The first part I was farther back than I anticipated being. Leaving the gate his right hind end bounced off it which was not good. But two jumps later I saw that the 10 (Mystery Train) was going to put the pressure on Game On Dude, so I saw my chance to make up for it by saving all the ground I could," Smith explained.

"I tried to follow the horses that I thought I needed to follow. I got behind the other three-year-old (Toast of New York) that I knew was good on Polytrack. I felt confident that I was going to get the trip from that point on.

"When he can spot them four or five lengths leaving the gate the way he did and run the way he did, that's incredibly impressive."

Shared Belief successfully passed the distance test in Sunday's 10-furlong Pacific Classic (Benoit Photos)

"He just ran a terrific race. He's a special horse. I heard someone say this might be the coming out of a super star. I think now this horse deserves that accolade. I'll tell you what: he's as good a young horse as I've sat on in a while."

U.A.E. Derby hero Toast of New York took second by 2 1/4 lengths over Imperative.

"His people told me I'd have to stay after him at the end; to encourage him," explained Toast of New York's rider, Victor Espinoza. "He's a one-paced horse and he needs some help late.

"Mike's horse (Shared Belief) did come over on us and I had to take a hold. Maybe it's different if I don't," the jockey added. "But he ran good. He's a nice horse and this was a big effort for him."

"He ran a great race, the race of his life. No hard feelings," trainer Jamie Osborne remarked about his charge Toast of New York. "The first two horses were the best. The winner may be the best three-year-old anywhere. My horse stepped up quite a bit from his win in the U.A.E. Derby."

Shared Belief remains unbeaten with six wins in as many races (Benoit Photos)

Shared Belief joins a select group of three-year-olds to have won the Pacific Classic. Thirteen sophomores had been sent postward in 23 prior runnings of the race, with four of them proving victorious: Best Pal (in the inaugural 1991 event), General Challenge (1999), Came Home (2002) and Dullahan (2012).

Shared Belief adds the Pacific Classic to a resume that already includes the Hollywood Prevue, CashCall Futurity and Los Alamitos Derby. He made a name for himself in California last year, breaking his maiden by seven lengths for trainer J.B. Josephson before being purchased privately and transferred to Hollendorfer. A month later he made his stakes debut in the Hollywood Prevue and once again encountered no threat when pulling away to a 7 3/4-length score.

The dark bay gelding closed out his juvenile campaign with a 5 3/4-length win in the CashCall Futurity while stretching out to 1 1/16 miles, and just a month later found himself honored as the champion two-year-old male of 2013 at the Eclipse Award ceremony.

The Kentucky-bred was scheduled to return in the Robert B. Lewis in early February at Santa Anita Park, but foot problems plagued the young champion and he was eventually sidelined. Off since since his CashCall Futurity score, he returned to the worktab on April 15 at Golden Gate Fields, covering three furlongs in :38 2/5.

Shared Belief continued to work regularly over the Tapeta before finally entering the starting gate for the first time since December in a May 26 allowance at Golden Gate Fields. He wired that six-furlong contest and stretched out to 1 1/8 miles for the Los Alamitos Derby last out. That proved an easy obstacle to overcome as he pulled off for a 4 1/4-length score.